With summer vacation officially here, life slows down a little for everyone and we like keeping things simple and unhurried so we can have more time to enjoy the long, lazy days of this season, right? And that includes keeping our meals simple. That’s why this Pepperoni Pasta Salad is so great—it’s easy to make, doesn’t involve any baking to heat up your kitchen, and it has so many delicious ingredients in it. The savory flavors of this pasta salad are so refreshing on a hot summer day!
Pepperoni fans love this dish, and there’s a lot of other ingredients that make it so tasty—bell pepper, red onion, grape tomatoes, cucumber, black olives, artichoke hearts, and mozzarella pearls, all tossed together with rotini pasta in your favorite Italian salad dressing. And then you sprinkle on some Parmesan cheese and fresh parsley for a nice finishing touch!
If you don’t have pepperoni on hand, you could substitute chopped salami or even chopped, cooked chicken. You could even just leave out the meat if you prefer and add in an extra amount of veggies or cheese. And if you have any leftovers, you can enjoy them for lunch the next day or two!b
Pepperoni Pasta Salad
PEPPERONI PASTA SALAD by NancyC
Makes 6 to 8 servings
1 (12-ounce) package uncooked rotini pasta (3/4 lb.)
1 orange or yellow bell pepper, seeded and chopped
1 cup chopped red onion
2 cups grape tomatoes, halved
1 cup chopped cucumber
2 (2.25-ounce) cans sliced black olives, drained
1 (14-ounce) can quartered artichoke hearts, drained, and cut in half
1 (8-ounce) package small fresh mozzarella balls or pearls
1 (5-ounce) package pepperoni, cut in half
1 cup of your favorite Italian salad dressing
1/2 to 3/4 cup shaved or shredded Parmesan cheese, for garnish
2 to 3 Tablespoons chopped fresh parsley, for garnish
Cook pasta according to package directions. Drain, then rinse with cold water.
In an extra-large serving bowl, combine the pasta, bell pepper, red onion, grape tomatoes, cucumber, black olives, artichoke hearts, mozzarella pearls, and pepperoni. Toss these ingredients together, then pour the Italian salad dressing over this mixture and toss again until everything is coated.
Before serving, sprinkle the large bowl of pasta with Parmesan cheese and chopped fresh parsley (about 2 to 3 Tablespoons). Or, put the pasta salad in individual serving bowls and then add the Parmesan cheese and parsley toppings to each bowl, then serve.
Note: You can make this pasta salad several hours ahead of time and refrigerate until ready to serve.
Recipe from NancyC | nancy-c.com
Do you like keeping things simple in the summertime? There’s so much to enjoy about these warm-weather months…relaxing time on the porch and patio, traveling on adventures, fun days at the beach, cookouts, bike rides, and picnics in the park! The summer season is such a gift and reminds me of these words from 1 Timothy 6:17 (NCV): God richly gives us everything to enjoy. Let’s take time to enjoy all we can of these longer, brighter, days of summer!
NancyC 
2 responses to “Pepperoni Pasta Salad”
I think I need to make a pasta salad! It’s summer after all.
LikeLiked by 2 people
Yes, they’re great for summer! 🙂
LikeLiked by 1 person